After North Korea’s 5th nuclear test on Friday, a 6th may be imminent

North Korea on Friday set off its most powerful nuclear bomb to date. Earlier in the week, North Korea test-launched three ballistic missiles, and country officials are claiming that North Korea is almost ready to launch nuclear missiles.

The nuclear test was condemned by political leaders around the world. China, North Korea’s supposed ally, also protested North Korea’s “disregard” for international stability. It is believed that China’s fear is of a destabilized North Korean government, although China would take advantage of that situation by moving its military quickly to take control of the North.

On Sunday, unnamed South Korean government sources said that another nuclear test may be imminent:

Indications have been gathered that the North has completed preparations to conduct a nuclear test at any time in the third tunnel that has not been used previously.

After Friday’s test, the US threatened to launch additional sanctions against North Korea unilaterally, without seeking permission from the UN Security Council.

However, North Korea mocked the threat in its state-run media:

The group of Obama’s running around and talking about meaningless sanctions until today is highly laughable, when their ‘strategic patience’ policy is completely worn out and they are close to packing up to move out.

As we’ve made clear, measures to strengthen the national nuclear power in quality and quantity will continue to protect our dignity and right to live from augmented threats of nuclear war from the United States.

South Korea announces ‘Massive Punishment and Retaliation’ and decapitation for N. Korea

South Korea has announced the “Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation” (KMPR) plan to annihilate Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea, through intensive bombing. The KMPR would be triggered in case the North shows any signs of a nuclear attack.

According to a government official:

Every Pyongyang district, particularly where the North Korean leadership is possibly hidden, will be completely destroyed by ballistic missiles and high-explosive shells as soon as the North shows any signs of using a nuclear weapon. In other words, the North’s capital city will be reduced to ashes and removed from the map.

The attack would be conducted with conventional weapons, as South Korea has no nuclear weapons, although some Seoul officials have been calling for a nuclear development program in the South.

Of note is that the KMPR threat is of a pre-emptive attack. That is, the South would not wait for a nuclear attack. Instead, the KMPR attack would be launched “if signs of the impending use of nuclear weapons are detected or in the event of a war.”

In the KMPR scenario, South Korea will deploy its Hyunmoo 2A and Hyunmoo 2B ballistic missiles, with a range of between 300 and 500 kilometers as well as the Hyunmoo-3 cruise missiles with a range of 1000 kilometers.

“The KMPR is the ultimate operation concept the military can have in the absence of its own nuclear weapons,” according to a government official.

The threat is also highly personal in that the North Korean child dictator Kim Jong-un will be specifically targeted with “decapitation strikes” on the North Korean leadership. Yonhap News (Seoul) and Korea Times and Japan Times